Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the The Planted Tank Forum forums, you must first register.
Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

Log-in

User Name

Remember Me?

Password

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Topic Review (Newest First)

01-24-2013 10:01 PM

rocketdude1234

It's been almost two weeks since the last set of pics so since its w/c day, I decided to take some new ones. Plants are, for the most part, just exploding with growth. A few species (macranda and wallichii) don't seem to be doing as well as the others, but they're hanging in there. I also trimmed and replanted the Nesaea crass. red because the emmersed grown stems were really starting to look bad and really didn't want to root. Now that I had enough submerged growth I figured I'd reset them. We'll see how it goes.

01-11-2013 10:31 PM

crice8

what do you have on your filter intake to prevent the shrimp from being sucked in? yours looks to offer better filtration than the foam i have on mine

01-11-2013 09:29 PM

rocketdude1234

Been about a month since my last update so I thought I'd share some pictures over the course of the month and a half since the 40 breeder display has been up.

Some changes have been made since I last updated so I'll start with the lighting. Firstly, the second fixture has worked great. I now have 4x39w over the tank. The first ballast (which is giving better light output) comes on at 12:30pm and goes off at 10:30pm. The second fixture comes on at 2:45pm and off at 9:30pm

I was having GDA due to the increased light and trying to dial everything in, but reducing the light cycle and upping co2 seem to have put an end to it.

I got a chance to check par values on the fixtures I have over the tank, and what I found was interesting. For par output, the Corallife bulbs (colormax, 67k) produced ~25% less par than either the Aquatic Life 10k, or Wavepoint's Tropic Wave. Par under the second fixture is about 85 at substrate while the other is around 115.

I also upgraded the regulator on the system to the Milwaukee MA957 with a glass diffuser. Co2 comes on at 11:00am and off at 9:30pm. No drop checker on the system. I raised co2 levels till fish showed signs of stress and dialed it back slightly.

Fertilizing is still EI, but I have incorporated Osmocote root tabs (a lot of CSM+b and regular osmocote pellets).

Fish are the same, but flora has changed a little. I have added eriocaulon Parkeri and Cinereum, lindernia Rotundifolia "variegated," and rotala macranda. Plants are doing really well, especially the HC, limnophila, and bacopa.

Anyways, those are the details so now enjoy the action!
(and excuse the riccia rocks, they grow faster in this tank)

Set Up December 1, 2012

HC planted December 5, 2012

December 12, 2012

December 22, 2012

January 7, 2013

January 11, 2013

12-14-2012 05:42 AM

Bear Sage

I'll take them! Whatever they are...

12-14-2012 03:16 AM

ADAtank

I can hook you up with the trimmings let me know free

12-14-2012 03:07 AM

BoxxerBoyDrew

COOL DEAL!

Thanks for the info!
Drew

12-13-2012 05:00 PM

rocketdude1234

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoxxerBoyDrew

WOW You have done a ton of work since I last saw it! Your plants are FREAKIN AWESOME!!! Are you getting them locally or ordering?

What substrate do you have in the 40B that the Rams are in? Also are any of your tanks dirted or just sand substrate?

LOVE the Rams too!!!

Keep up the AWESOME WORK!
Drew

I'm getting some of them through pure luck, others I've been special ordering (I have a list of like 100 species)

The substrate in the 40b is simply Caribsea Tahitian Black Moon sand. I placed 3 osmocote + csmb root tabs in the substrate. None of my tanks are dirted. The 6.5' basin in the back yard is MGOPT capped with pea pebbles tho. I have used caliche clay as a liner capped with substrate in some previous outdoor basins with good luck.

We have quite a collection of rams at the moment. We have a LF female GBR, an electric blue male, standard GBR male, and a female gold balloon. I am considering adding another female into the display tank so that I (hopefully) have two genetic lines of GBR crossed with electrics.

12-13-2012 07:54 AM

BoxxerBoyDrew

WOW You have done a ton of work since I last saw it! Your plants are FREAKIN AWESOME!!! Are you getting them locally or ordering?

What substrate do you have in the 40B that the Rams are in? Also are any of your tanks dirted or just sand substrate?

LOVE the Rams too!!!

Keep up the AWESOME WORK!
Drew

12-12-2012 09:42 PM

rocketdude1234

Well, I thought I'd make a bigger update post and share some pictures since the last one was kinda short.

Starting with the 40b production tank. I pulled tons of plants to make some room for some of the nicer plants. The myrio red had simply taken over. This stuff grows faster than rotundifolia or l. repens. Root systems on some of the ones I pulled were almost as big as baseballs.

We pulled the long fin German Blue female we had in Jely's 29g and put her into the 40b. The next morning she had dropped eggs but unfortunately there was no male to fertilize. Since then we picked up a small electric blue male and placed him in with her. So far nothing, but they get along well so we'll see.

I also picked up a pair of caridina babaulti (1 male 1 female) that remained as stragglers in a tank full of larger fish, somehow they didn't get eaten. The female was already berried and the saddle was returning so its only a matter of time before she pops. The male unfortunately died a few days after being placed in the 20l, so the search is on!

Finally, we have the new 40b, the display tank. The HC has come up quite a bit, but there are many chunks that have already rooted. Last saturday the co2 tank ran out and I couldn't refill it till monday, but nothing bad happened. I also swapped out one of the bluer bulbs for a 67k and switched positions on a blue and 10k bulb. I also added some Nesaea crassicaulis red (not nesaea red leaved) and myriophyllum tuberculatum (the red/orange, not the amber/brown).

Anyways....everyone enjoy the pictures. I'll post some info soon about what plants I have available for sale. Good news is flame moss should be available soon and at a reasonable price : )

12-05-2012 11:11 PM

rocketdude1234

So I got the second t5 fixture over the tank today. This brings lighting up to 2x dual 39w t5 ho. Haven't checked par yet, but will as soon as I get a chance. I increased co2 as well to compensate for the increased light.

I also added the carpet of HC today. We'll see how it goes.

Here's a current pic:

12-04-2012 03:28 AM

Bear Sage

And it's up to you to introduce ludwigia pentifilia to the community!

12-04-2012 03:27 AM

Bear Sage

For real tho. I want some of your 'guinea' maybe some of that r. macrandra.